Effects of the rise of reason of state in political thought on history

It is well known that historical writings and historical information played a crucial role in the development of ideas on reason of state and ‘modern’ political thought (including natural law). The reverse relation, i.e. the effects of the rise of reason of state in political thought on the methods, questions and approaches in history has received far less attention. The purpose of this meeting is an exchange of ideas about this side of the relationship between researchers in the broad field of intellectual history (coming from disciplines such as history, literature, law and philosophy) working on reason of state in the 16th -18th century in various regions in Europe.

Possible specific topics for papers include the changes in historiography as a result of changing ideas on ethics and historical causality and/or the nature of human society; effects of secularisation, and of a sharper distinction between secular and ecclesiastical (or confessional) politics; of the rise of economic thought and the emergence of ‘social sciences’ (such as in the Strasbourg school, which has deep roots in late humanism); connections between growing doubts and controversies regarding the relevance of the Classics in the contemporary world (Querelle des Anciens et Modernes); and questions as to the different effects of reason of state-thought between Catholic and Protestant regions in Europe.

Registration

There is no entrence fee for this symposium. However, we would like you to register on monday september 25 at the latest. You can register by sending an email to Lisa Kattenberg: L.F.Kattenberg@uva.nl with subject Registration symposium. Please also include the following information:

Your name (first and last name)

If you would like to have lunch. We ask a contribution of 5 euros for lunch, which you can pay on site.

If you would like to join for diner. Diner will be at your own expense.

Program

9:30 – 9:45 Opening

9:45 – 11:30 Session 1: Historiography and reason of state: remarks on theory (Chair: Lisa Kattenberg)
Jan Waszink (Leiden University): Causality and secularisation; the difficult beginnings of a new historiography
Jacques Bos (University of Amsterdam): Reason of state and the circumstances of political action: from exemplarity to historicity

10:45 Short coffee & tea break

Jan Rotmans (University of Amsterdam): ‘Man as he is, not as he ought to be’. The predictability of history and the anti-utopian image of human nature in late Dutch Enlightenment thoughtDiscussion

11:30 – 11:45 Coffee & tea break

11:45 – 12:45 Session 2: History and reason of state in various European contexts (Chair: tba)
Sarah Mortimer (Christ Church, University of Oxford): History, Reason of State, and the succession crises of the 1590s
Marisol García Gonzalez (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia): Della conservazione della pace dell’Italia. Reason of State and historiography of the Early Modern Milan
Discussion

15:15 – 16:15 Session 4: History and reason of state in early Enlightenment thought (Chair: tba)
Arthur Weststeijn (Utrecht University) Classical Colonisation in a Commercial World: Colonial Concepts and Practices between Carlo Sigonio and the Encyclopédie
Marianne Klerk (St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford): Reason of State and Interest in the Dutch Republic: the legacy of Duc de RohanDiscussion

the Ján Stanislav Institute of Slavistics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

to be held in Bratislava on 5–7 December 2018

Call for Papers

Almost all branches of modern science and scholarship, including humanities, can trace their existence back to at least early modern times when Latin was a common medium of European erudition. Yet, present-day researchers in individual disciplines are largely unaware of the existence of early modern Latin scholarship related to their respective fields of study.

This conference aims to explore the rich corpus of Neo-Latin scholarly texts written about the Slavs, thereby intending to throw light on the early stages of what later became established as Slavistics or Slavonic Studies. We also hope to bring closer together researchers from the fields of Slavistics and Neo-Latin Studies, a combination which we believe carries great potential for future research in both disciplines.

We welcome papers of twenty to thirty minutes in English, German or Latin concerning early modern Latin scholarship on the history, philology, mythology, ethnography, geography, etc., of the Slavs. Publication of a collection of essays based on the conference proceedings is envisaged in 2020. Please send your proposal of ca. 250 words and a very short biographical note to Dr Svorad Zavarský (svorad.zavarsky@savba.sk) no later than 15 December 2017. All authors will be notified by the end of 2017.

The Spinoza’s Web-project examines the life and work of the Dutch philosopher Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677), as well as the networks in which he participated. In the reception and assessment of his thought, scholars have always seen an indissoluble connection between his writings, character and reputation, and the course of his life. Every era thus forms its own impression of Spinoza, and this image plays an important role—more than it does with other philosophers—in the way his thought is understood. This project seeks to develop tools for documenting Spinoza’s life, writings, and work as completely as possible, and will trace out the impact of his philosophy by mapping out the context in which his thought evolved. The project revolves around four research axes, each of which will produce its own output.

Job description
We are looking for four researchers (3 PhD candidates and 1 Postdoc researcher) to form the team of the NWO VICI project Citizenship Discourses in the Early Middle Ages (400-1100), granted to dr. Els Rose and running from 2017-2022.

The project as a whole explores how the early medieval world employed citizenship terminology inherited from the classical and biblical past, to shape and give expression to the new social, political and religious identities of Europe’s post-Roman inhabitants. The project examines the radical semantic changes to the use of citizenship terminology in a variety of written sources dating to the period 400-1100 and applies discourse analysis to these sources in order to lay bare their social implications.

The three PhD researchers will investigate citizenship discourse in the following domains of early medieval culture:

PhD 1 will work on hagiography and apocryphal literature (project P3);

PhD 2 will study liturgy and sermons (project P4);

PhD 3 will examine the role of the Latin language in the process of percolation of citizenship discourse through to all layers of society (project P5);

The Postdoc will concentrate on the legal aspects of citizenship in a Christianising world, both in the centres and the peripheries of the (former) Roman Empire, in urban as well as non-urbanised settings (project P2 shared with the PI; project P6).

Requirements
We are looking for four excellent and enthusiastic researchers who fulfil the following requirements:
For the PhDs:

Master’s Degree in Medieval, Ancient or Classical Studies or a related field;

Demonstrable knowledge of Latin and the willingness to specialise in Medieval Latin;

Excellent communication skills in English, both in written and spoken form;

Excellent writing skills at an academic level;

Preparedness and ability to work both as a creative and independent scholar and as part of an academic team;

Ability to speak or willingness to learn Dutch

For the Postdoc, in addition to the above:

A completed and approved PhD-thesis in a relevant field of studies;

Demonstrable knowledge of and experience in researching ancient or medieval legal history is an asset.

Conditions of employment
We offer a position in an ambitious research project, embedded in the rich interdisciplinary tradition of Medieval Studies at Utrecht University. You will carry out one of the sub-projects, in which process you will have the opportunity to choose your own focus and methodological paths, depending on your expertise and choice of sources, all in consultation with the project leader.

You will be based at the Department of Languages, Literature and Communication (TLC) and participate in the Utrecht Centre for Medieval Studies (www.uu.nl/ucms), which co-ordinates the Utrecht medievalists in the Institute for Cultural Inquiry (ICON) and the Research Institute for History and Art History (OGK). Both the department and UCMS provide a stimulating and internationally oriented research environment. As a project member you will take part in the international conferences and other activities the project will initiate. All projects require a limited amount of teaching, which will allow you to build up or extend a teaching record.

We offer

Three PhD-positions at 1.0 fte, starting 1 March 2018, initially for a period of 18 months. Upon good performance and a positive evaluation, the contract will be extended for the remaining 30 months period (4 years in total). The gross monthly salary will start at € 2,222 in the first year and ends at € 2,840 in the fourth, on a full time basis (P-scale of the Collective Employment Agreement Dutch Universities);

and

A Postdoc-position at 1.0 fte, starting 1 March 2018 at the latest, initially for a period of one year. Upon good performance and a positive evaluation, the contract will be extended for the remaining 24 months period (3 years in total). The gross monthly salary ranges between € 3,238 and € 3,605 for a full-time employment, depending on experience and qualifications.

Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and and a year-end allowance of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). Here you’ll find more information about working at Utrecht University.

Employer
A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively on major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Humanities has around 6,000 students and 900 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and teaching in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. Enthusiastic and committed faculty members and excellent amenities in the historical city center of Utrecht, where the Faculty is housed, contribute to an inspiring working environment.